Monday, September 20, 2010

Ancient Seeds May Save Grains of the Future

Scientists working in the farming hills outside Mexico City found ancient wheat varieties have drought- and heat-resistant traits, like longer roots and increased nutrient storage.  These seeds were brought to the New World by Spanish  priests over 500 years ago.

 
At the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in El Bata, scientists are crossing  plants with other strains developed at to grow types of wheat that can fight off the ill effects of rising temperatures around the world.


Source: Reuters

4 comments:

Carren Young said...

The question is how could the seeds can survive that long? Is wheat germ can still be in planting or in engineering to grow?

Tips Blog Buzz said...

wow... WOW... Great post Bro... I Like Your Blog Because.. Your Blog Very Good For me

Tips Blog Buzz said...

wow... great post,,, i like your blog

Expat in Germany said...

Very interesting. I had never thought of seeds as having an age, but I guess it does make sense. I'm interested to see where this goes as it sounds like it has the potential to be a viable solution to the food shortage crisis facing many countries.